


Two Years

by SHSL_Emi



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Angst, Bill Cipher possible return?, Dipper trusts no one besides Mabel, Family Feels, Gen, Gravity Falls Spoilers, The feels, Trust, it's a mystery, nobody knows?, post-not what he seems, who do we trust?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-27
Updated: 2015-05-27
Packaged: 2018-04-01 11:47:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4018600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SHSL_Emi/pseuds/SHSL_Emi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been two years since the Pines twins had left Gravity Falls. Two years since they left behind their Grunkles, and everything they experienced that summer. But, two summers later, they decide to go back. What will be waiting for them and will Dipper's questions be answered? And is there something sinister lying deep down inside the sleepy town of Gravity Falls?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Two Years

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I hope you guys enjoy my first stab at a Gravity Falls fic. I've sort of had theories about what might have happened in Not What He Seems so I just had to write a fic about it. Um, I know there's sort of a lot of these kinds of fics floating around out there, but I hope this one satisfies everyone c: But, yeah, enjoy.

  Dipper Pines woke with a start. His heartbeat was racing and his hands were covered in sweat. Two years. Two years since Grunkle Stanley Pines returned. Two years since he’s left Gravity Falls, Oregon. He looked over at the other bed where his sleeping twin sister laid peacefully sleeping. He watched the soft rise and fall of her chest, and leaned into his bed. Today was the day. The day they’d return back to Gravity Falls and The Mystery Shack; to the world he and his sister had left behind two years ago. He looked up at the ceiling; his mind traveling to Gravity Falls. Would things be the same? Of course he knew things wouldn’t be. The last time he saw his Grunkles, they both were trying to figure things out on their own. Grunkle Stan. Who was he? Dipper was hoping he’d find out this summer the answers he desperately needed. That’s why he had been so eager to go back to Gravity Falls, but regardless of the situation, he still wanted to go just to leave the house. Two years of being away has made him antsy to find out more that laid in that sleepy town of Oregon and his parents a bit overbearing.  
  He saw light rays of sunlight start to peak through the shudders of his windows like an uninvited visitor. He shifted to his side and let out a sigh. He heard Mabel stir in her sleep and glanced over his shoulder at his sister. His sister had rolled over to face him, and her eyes were cracked open. She gave Dipper a sleepy smile.  
  “Is it time yet?” She mumbled still half-asleep.  
  “Not yet,” Dipper said softly. “Go back to bed. It’s probably 5am.”  
His sister shook her head and propped herself up on her elbows.  
  “What do you think will be waiting for us back at the Mystery Shack?”  
Dipper shrugged and forced himself to sit up despite his tired bones.  
  “I dunno, Mabel.” He replied. “I still don’t completely understand what happened back then.”  
Mabel’s smile faded and she laid back on her back; her long hair sprawled out on her pillows.  
  “I trusted him, Dipper.”  
  “I know, and I’m sure when we go back we’ll get the answers we want.”  
  He watched Mabel shift to her other side, her back facing towards him, and within minutes she was back asleep. Dipper envied her ability to fall asleep so easily. Ever since that day, he had never been able to sleep the same way he used to. Not when his dreams would drift to Gravity Falls and more questions would form when he awoke. Most of all, he couldn’t get his Grunkle Stans and the images from the journal out of his head; especially the page about Bill Cipher. _Bill Cipher_. Dipper cringed at the thought of that dream demon and the words he had told him before; about how he was working for someone bigger and eviler than just himself. There was a bigger picture to Gravity Falls, but he had lost the chance to explore more about what was going on because his Grunkles had decided to send them back home early despite the twins protesting.  
  He laid on his back, looking back up at the popcorn ceiling of his room. The sun had grown brighter during the time he was thinking and he could tell his alarm was about to go off. Today was going to be rough with packing and his parents lectures about being more careful this summer, but he knew as soon as he left the comfort of his home everything would finally balance out. He’d be on his way back to the world he left behind, and this time he was prepared. He closed his eyes with thoughts about the journal that was hidden away in his bookcase and most of all, thoughts about the challenges ahead of him.

 

__________________________________________________________________________  
  “Dipper, watch your blind spot!”  
Dipper checked into the mirrors of the SUV and sighed in exasperation.  
  “Dad, I was fine,” He complained. “Besides, there’s no other car out here.”  
His father in the passenger seat shot him a stern look and crossed his arms across his chest; a trait that Dipper has seen himself do on several occasions when he was upset.  
  “Oregon tends to have some crazy drivers out there, Dip. It’s just how things are. If you’re going to complain about driving then I’ll never let you drive ever again.”  
  The young teen sighed in annoyance and concentrated on the road ahead of him. The tall pine trees casted long shadows over the road and the loomed in the distance. He felt his heart drop. He was so close to answers, but his preparedness from before had gave way into nervousness. He was so close to Gravity Falls. He glanced in his rear view mirror at Mabel, who was in the back seat with his mother, and noticed that she was looking out the window with an unusual look of seriousness. Usually on car rides like these she would’ve started to play some sort of road game, but she had been quiet since they had entered Oregon.  
_I wonder what she’s thinking about._  
  But, deep down inside Dipper had an idea of what she was thinking about. He had seen that look on her on their ride back two years ago when they were leaving. She was thinking about the questions he had been focused on earlier. What will have changed? They both had only received one letter every six months from their Grunkles since they had left, but all the letters were the same; vague and bearing no answers to what was going on. For all the twins knew, their Grunkles could have been wrestling were-beasts while they wrote about just lounging on the couch. A slight smile crept onto Dipper’s face. He was half tempted let out a snort at the thought but saw the curious look on his father’s face and stopped himself from doing so.  
  “Are you excited to see your Grunkles, kids?” piped up his mother from the back.  
Mabel snapped out of her daze and smiled a big braces-free smile that Dipper found more familiar and natural for his sister.  
  “Of course!” She exclaimed. “I’m ready to see Waddles again and Candy and Greta! And my Grunkles of course!”  
 Dipper glanced at his sister and they both exchanged a silence agreement. They needed to pretend that they were excited for the sake of not worrying their parents. Their mother smiled at her, oblivious to the brief exchange between the twins, and turned her gaze to Dipper.  
  “Well, I’m sure they’ll be happy to see you too,” Their mother replied smiling. “I’m sure your Grunkles will enjoy the company. Dipper, are you excited?”  
Dipper cleared his throat and forced a smile.  
 “Of course,” He lied. “Why would I not be?”  
 “You just seemed shaken up the last time you came here.” His father spoke up skeptically. “Are you two sure nothing happened the last time you stayed the summer here?”  
 “Of course not,” Mabel replied quickly, beating Dipper. “Grunkle Stan just had an emergency to deal with concerning his brother and now they live together because of Grunkle Stanley’s health.”  
 Saved. Dipper let out a sigh of relief. They had rehearsed excuse that since the day they left Gravity Falls. The excuse passed by their Mom easily, but their father still voiced some doubts every time the topic came up at the dinner table.  
 “Alright,” his father said, buying the lie. “I just don’t want you two to get caught up in anything dangerous. Your Grunkles-”  
 “Honey,” his mother interrupted. “Can we just let them have their fun? They’re fifteen now; they can take care of themselves. It won’t be like with that Gideon boy situation two years ago. Besides, I know they’ll call us if anything bad happens, right?”  
 “Of course.”  
 “Yeah, definitely, Mom!”  
 Their mother chuckled and the car settled back into a comfortable silence. Dipper noticed the Gravity Falls town line sign and his stomach dropped. This was it. Where had the time gone to? It felt like California had just been a blink of an eye and now Oregon was just his eternity. He felt his hands tighten around the steering wheel. Was he ready for this? Was Mabel ready? He sneaked one last glance at his sister, and their eyes connected for a split second. She gave him a small reassuring smile, but he didn’t feel reassured. The nausea was starting to grow worse and he slowly turned up the A/C. His father gave him a look from the passenger side, but didn’t say a word.  
 “It’s to your left, Dip.”  
 Dipper hadn’t realized that he should have slowed down, but quickly turned a sharp left onto a familiar dirt road. His father grumbled some curses while his mother and Mabel laughed in the back seat at Dipper’s mistake. Dipper felt his cheeks grow hot and mumbled an apology to his family, but stopped half way when he saw the small triangular building come into view. The car grew eerie quiet except for the air condition blowing. When the shack came into full view, the twins had saw that nothing had changed... yet. Dipper parked the SUV and turned off the car. His father, mother, and Mabel piled out of the car, but he stayed behind at the wheel; collecting his thoughts. Nothing had changed so it seemed. The ‘S’ in shack was still hanging on for its dear life, the totem pole was still there, and the loads of buses full of tourists, temporarily empty, were parked to the side like sitting ducks. Dipper slowly opened the car door, carefully stepping down from the driver side, and caught up with his family, who had already gathered his bags along with Mabel's.  
 The air was surprisingly cool, but then again Dipper was used to the strangeness of Gravity Falls’ weather. He adjusted his red shirt and strolled through the area. He took in the familiar sights of the forest and the area. Everything seemed the same; had nothing changed since his absence? The family approached the porch and Dipper felt the butterflies in his stomach move up to his chest. This was it. He felt a hand slip into his and noticed that Mabel had intertwined her hand into his. He could tell she was nervous too because she had started to tremble. He gave his sister’s hand a squeeze, in hopes of that it would calm her down, but he felt like he was going to collapse. Why had nothing changed? Was there something wrong? He watched as his parents knocked on the door and within moments the door creaked open revealing a familiar face that the twins had not been expecting to open the door.  
 The familiar face of Soos peeped through the crack at the door. A wide smile spread across his features, revealing his buck teeth, and he swung the door back. With one motion, he swept both the twins into a tight hug.  
 “Kids!” He exclaimed. “I’m so glad you two could come this summer! Oh man, you won’t believe what’s been happening lately; there’s just so much you need to catch up on.”  
 The handyman had stayed the same during their long hiatus, which honestly didn’t surprise Dipper. He still wore the same question mark t-shirt, the same pants (probably haven’t changed them in a while, Dipper deduced), and the same hat. The only thing that had changed was the fact that the other man hadn’t shaved in a while. He carefully placed the twins down and tipped his hat towards their parents.  
 “Mr and Mrs. Pines,” he addressed. “How have you two been?”  
 Their father gave him a curt nod and their mother just smiled.  
 “We’ve been fine,” their mother responded. “Where are the Grunkles?”  
 “Oh, they’re just busy with work. I’m sure they’ll be back in a hour or two.”  
 “We don’t have time to wait,” their father responded. “We have a long drive ahead of us so we might as well leave now.”  
 Both their parents turned to the twins and gave them a hug. They placed their suitcases and bags to the side; letting Soos pick them up.  
 “We’ll be checking up on you two,” their father said. “Dipper, you’re responsible for Mabel, remember that.”  
Dipper rolled his eyes and nodded. He was always looking out for Mabel so it was never anything new.  
 “And remember to write,” their mother added. “And also send pictures and videos. We’ll miss you!”  
 The twins watched as their parents walked away and crawl into the car. Dipper felt his anxiety level skyrocket as they pulled away; leaving them in Gravity Falls like they did two years ago. A part of him wanted to run after them and beg to go back, but another part knew he needed to stay. For the sake of answers, and for the sake of himself. He felt Soos place a comforting hand on his shoulder and looked up at the man. He gave them a reassuring smile and ushered them inside.


End file.
